Saturday May 31 | 9:30 pm | Vancity Theatre

Director: Nitzan Gilady, Israel, 2007, 80 minutes

In 2005, plans to host the annual WorldPride events in Jerusalem were postponed by the Israeli Disengagement Plan from Gaza. One year later, the city’s GLTB community centre, Jerusalem Open House, prepared to host the 2006 WorldPride, a series of events culminating in a pride march through the streets of one of the world’s most politically complex cities.

What follows is a gripping portrait of clashing visions for the nation of Israel. Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders unite in opposition to a perceived attempt to defile the Holy City. Individuals from both sides of the debate refer to the other side as terrorists. An openly gay city council member struggles to communicate through official venues in a council chamber clearly biased against him, while opposing religious leaders take their message to the streets with inflammatory posters about this attempted “rape of the Holy Land.” Threats to the event organizers and Jerusalem Open House escalate as the date approaches, forcing individuals and the community to question the cost of their convictions.

Just as the organizers of WorldPride get set to hold their first official press conference, politics intervene once again when Israeli soldiers are captured and Israel retaliates in Lebanon. Members of Jerusalem Open House and the broader queer community must decide whether or not to proceed and make history with Israel’s first WorldPride or acquiesce to the odds which are increasingly stacked against them.

Director Biography

Nitzan Gilady is a self-taught director-producer who began his “endless love for cinema” as an actor. He is a graduate of the Thelma Yelin Art School (Israel) and New York Circle in the Square Theatre School. His last film In Satmar Custody explored the complex relationship between the Hasidic Satmar community and the Yemenite Jews who still live in Yemen and was nominated for best Israeli documentary.

Community Partner

The Vancouver Queer Film Festival (August 14 - 24, 2008) is an annual showcase of local and international GLBTQ film, art and media. We also produce Out In Schools, a year-round youth program promoting safer schools across British Columbia.

Film Trailer